In a desperate bid to get children off their rear ends and out into the real world, New Mexico is currently trying to get a bill passed which will effectively tax video games and televisions. At this point, the tax would be almost negligible (1% extra on all appropriate paraphernalia). Dubbed the "Television Tax", the funds gathered from it would actually be put towards noble causes. Funds will be used to...

Develop curriculum-based programs for teachers to use on public lands and at other outdoor learning sites for outdoor education initiatives.

Develop hands-on teaching materials for children for use in outdoor education programs.

Provide transportation for children to experience outdoor education programs.

Another example of the government telling us what we should and shouldn't do...

The rise of the "Nanny state".

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yeah, but with how quickly child obesity rates are climbing, the number of children with behavioral disorders continues to rapidly grow, the number of children "out of touch" with reality growing . . .

something has to be done. This is at least a small start. I'm not 100% for it - as I think government programs like this tend to become easily abused by said government rather quickly; but I'm also not 100% against it, either.

The parents need to be responsible for the child's health. This will get to a point where there really is no need for parents. The government will just TAKE the child after birth since parents are obviously unable to care for their children...

About obesity, it really doesn't matter to me. It's not my problem if someone else is fat, just as long as that person isn't on Medicaid and is using my money due to the poor choices that he or she has made in the way of food.

If there wasn't this 1% tax, parents could take the money and use it to buy better food for their children. They could also use it to pay their other taxes so that they could spend more time outdoors with their children.

If they are trying to prevent kids from plalying Video Games this is the last thing they should be doing. They know very welll that this is not going to prevent kids or parents from buying a certain game, think about it, if they want it they are going to get. All this would do is rake in money from them. What a bunch of BS...

I live in Albuquerque NM, I haven't heard about this. It'll most likely get turned down, but as one of the above posters said a child's health should be the responsibility of the parent. My parents always told me when enough was enough.

yeah, but with how quickly child obesity rates are climbing, the number of children with behavioral disorders continues to rapidly grow, the number of children "out of touch" with reality growing . . .

something has to be done. This is at least a small start. I'm not 100% for it - as I think government programs like this tend to become easily abused by said government rather quickly; but I'm also not 100% against it, either.

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this is why i see anything that can drive a kid outside to play leigaly as a good thing, i got fat because i sat around and played videogames to much, thats the truth, also my health problems wouldnt go away if i was skinnyer, but it would likely help them not be so sever, but since i cant excersize without becoming totaly crippled again.....im kinda screwed!!!!

The parents need to be responsible for the child's health. This will get to a point where there really is no need for parents. The government will just TAKE the child after birth since parents are obviously unable to care for their children...

About obesity, it really doesn't matter to me. It's not my problem if someone else is fat, just as long as that person isn't on Medicaid and is using my money due to the poor choices that he or she has made in the way of food.

If there wasn't this 1% tax, parents could take the money and use it to buy better food for their children. They could also use it to pay their other taxes so that they could spend more time outdoors with their children.

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i agree pairnts SHOULD be responsible for their childs health BUT at least around here, i have seen a few pairnts loose their kids because they FORCED them to go outside and play and the kids reported it as abuse and claimed that the parints forced them to stay outside in the rain or whatnot.

as to not caring of kids are fat, your as asshole, many/most fat kids, dont know any better, their pairnts eather dont stop them or are afrade to do anything to stop them because they dont want to loose custody to the state.

our govt is nuts, if you spank your kid you get them taken away because your abusing them, if you yell at them you get them taken away because your abusing them, if you ground them same deal, i have seen it all here, and, well its bullshit...........

watched an ex of mine get her daughter taken because she grounded her after she stole stuff at school, the kid was forced to go to her bedroom do home work and not use the phone, mind u the kid had a tv, wii and gamecube in her room, but she told a social worker at the school about being grounded and the lady went NUTS, took her away that day, now i dont like my exgf shes a bitch, but i know her very well, and well she didnt deserve her kid taken, specly for grounding her after she did something so bad.

when i was a kid, i would have had my ass WHOOPED if i had stolen, infact, i had my ass whooped more then once for stuff i did that i KNEW i shouldnt do......

1. I'm not telling people to lock their kids outside in the rain. You have to use some common sense.

2. You don't need to run marathons to get into shape. Just don't eat so much.

3. Most importantly, when I was young, I was relatively chubby. I definitely knew that I needed to lose weight, so I got outside a bit more and cut down on the ice cream. I can't imagine that if you're grossely overweight as a kid, that you won't notice or try to correct the situation. Regardless, 'tis life. If the parents won't do anything, then it's up to the kid. Citizens shouldn't have to support poor decisions of parents through taxes.

4. Here in Texas, I've known over 20 people who have been grounded for several months by their parents without retaliation from the state.

1. I'm not telling people to lock their kids outside in the rain. You have to use some common sense.

2. You don't need to run marathons to get into shape. Just don't eat so much.

3. Most importantly, when I was young, I was relatively chubby. I definitely knew that I needed to lose weight, so I got outside a bit more and cut down on the ice cream. I can't imagine that if you're grossely overweight as a kid, that you won't notice or try to correct the situation. Regardless, 'tis life. If the parents won't do anything, then it's up to the kid. Citizens shouldn't have to support poor decisions of parents through taxes.

4. Here in Texas, I've known over 20 people who have been grounded for several months by their parents without retaliation from the state.

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like i said, when i mostly agree, i also know as a fat man, that just not eating so much WONT DO IT, i eat 2 meals a day, 1 is a large salid, with fat free dressing, no cheese, just healthy stuff, the other is eather fish, chicken or rarely lean beef with veggies and salid, guess what, i still dotn loose weight because i cant get any excersize to burn off the fat, i do 20-30pushups a day, still my arms are getting ripped, but my bodys still fat......

oh and i bet none of those kids talked to a state worker and told them about how horrible it was being grounded.

also the pairnts didnt lock the kid out in the rain, thats just what the kid said happend, i live in the great northwest(washington state) it rains 9mo of the year here, so being told to go play outside when its wet or raining out is nothing special, and most active kids dont need told to go out and play.

it was the kids making shit up or making things sound worse then they are that got them taken away, where they are in foster care now and can sit around all they like, because the foster pairnts just dont give a shit for the most part, they get payed to babysit/raise somebody elses bratts......

now on another note, we got 2 kids down the street who are out and about CONSTANTLY riding bikes or walking around the block, and they are still fat, the pairnts even have them on special diets, im guessing their matabolisims are messed up(bother and his younger sister) because honestly, if i was out moving around that much, i could eat anything i wanted and be thin as a rail........

like i said, when i mostly agree, i also know as a fat man, that just not eating so much WONT DO IT, i eat 2 meals a day, 1 is a large salid, with fat free dressing, no cheese, just healthy stuff, the other is eather fish, chicken or rarely lean beef with veggies and salid, guess what, i still dotn loose weight because i cant get any excersize to burn off the fat, i do 20-30pushups a day, still my arms are getting ripped, but my bodys still fat......

oh and i bet none of those kids talked to a state worker and told them about how horrible it was being grounded.

also the pairnts didnt lock the kid out in the rain, thats just what the kid said happend, i live in the great northwest(washington state) it rains 9mo of the year here, so being told to go play outside when its wet or raining out is nothing special, and most active kids dont need told to go out and play.

it was the kids making shit up or making things sound worse then they are that got them taken away, where they are in foster care now and can sit around all they like, because the foster pairnts just dont give a shit for the most part, they get payed to babysit/raise somebody elses bratts......

now on another note, we got 2 kids down the street who are out and about CONSTANTLY riding bikes or walking around the block, and they are still fat, the pairnts even have them on special diets, im guessing their matabolisims are messed up(bother and his younger sister) because honestly, if i was out moving around that much, i could eat anything i wanted and be thin as a rail........

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You're not losing weight because you are not eating enough meals. 1 or 2 meals a day will actually slow your metabolism, because your body automatically stores the calories, thinking it will be a long time till the next meal. You'd be much better off eating 4-6 smaller meals a day. That will raise your metabolism. Without changing what I eat, I've lost 40lbs in the past year (from 290 to 250), just by splitting my meals up into smaller amounts, but more often.

You're not losing weight because you are not eating enough meals. 1 or 2 meals a day will actually slow your metabolism, because your body automatically stores the calories, thinking it wikll be a long time till the next meal. You'd be much better off eating 4-6 smaller meals a day. That will raise youe metabolism. Withput changing what I eat, I've lost 40lbs in the past year (from 290 to 250), just by splitting my meals up into smaller amounts, but more often.

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dont even eat much at those meals, im pretty poor m8, i have around 160bucks a month to feed myself on :/

so i get whats healthy and cheap, if i split my meals up i would eat one bite 6-8 times a day :/

The part where American parents are not allowed to bring up their kids by mending them is laughable. I mean just slapping on the head could send the parent to jail? What a joke. When I was a kid, my dad used to be my tutor when preparing for exams, school tests, etc. He used to cane me, trash me, slap me, et al. It's kosher. Eventually I achieved a lot of academic success. A lot of Indian parents behave the same way, the kids here are brought up that way but that goes well. The way we define parenting is that the parent(s) has complete control over the way they/he/she brings up the children, even law can't intervene unless there's abuse which is investigated and proven true. Otherwise nothing stops my dad from caning me, I did NOT mind.....this instilled a very important quality in me, humility. Whereas due to the increased influence of western culture on ours, I have seen several urban families treat their kids the way westerners do, their kids are epic fail, bunch of snobs, and what not. The crux of it all is.

1. It's not that you NEED to beat your kid, there are American kids who never even need a scolding and go on to become excellent individuals with great academic, professional, moral, social records ; but not all parents get such kids.

2. I admit I was a jerk when I was a kid, but my being a jerk was corrected effectively by my dad. He says that a parent is a potter and a kid is like wet clay. When the clay is wet, you have to mould it carefully once it goes into the kiln and gets hard, you can't mould it and have to break it. Bottom line, my dad's ploy worked.

3. TV...outdoor activities play a key role in shaping a person, not just that he/she becomes physically fit, but mentally tough when dealing with people in real life outside. A person cannot learn how to socialise from a stupid Facebook account though he interacts with real people there too. A guy can abuse me on Facebook and run away, the same guy cannot face me and abuse me....else he'd watch me do a biopsy of him.

4. American parents have to be a lot more empowered than they are now, by the law. The kids have to learn to put the parents are authoritative figures in their lives, else it will hurt the future of America, its kids.

counldn't agree more, i was whipped and such as a child, and they went to extremes at times, when i failed the 7th grade they took my TV, Comp, NES, SNES, N64, Genesis, Dreamcast, Saturn, and PS1 and put them away untill the middle of 8th grade (I took summer School), the only fun i was allowed to have was reading a book and thats when i found John Grisham, but I agree parents have to be strict less children become apes

btarunr, you got what i was saying, because you grew up at least somewhat how i did, my pairnts never beet me/caned me for academics, it was more over stupid shit i did like steeling, talking back to teachers/people, breaking stuff, going places i wasnt sposta.

i got my arse whooped more times then i could count, and the few times i didnt do what i was whooped for didnt even come close to the number of times i got away with stuff that would have and should have gotten my arse whooped!!!

every singel kid i see thats not been dissiplined properly turns into a horrible adult, snobby, rude, unable to take critisism, just arrogant bastards......

either this should get turned down or it should be changed so that only people under 18 are taxed extra.
adults shouldn't be taxed again, they're already taxed 3 times before they even see their money in their bank accounts.

i think thats kinda the point, pairnts dont want more taxes or to pay more, so they are gonna kick those lazy fucking kids outside and make them get some excersize to try and avoid more taxes!!!

i mean shit if you where looking at a tax hike every year and you could avoid it by making ur kids get some excersize and not stuffing them with mcdonalds/burgerking/hardies/exct, wouldnt you do it? wouldnt u push everybody u knew with fat kids to do the same?

The parents need to be responsible for the child's health. This will get to a point where there really is no need for parents. The government will just TAKE the child after birth since parents are obviously unable to care for their children...

About obesity, it really doesn't matter to me. It's not my problem if someone else is fat, just as long as that person isn't on Medicaid and is using my money due to the poor choices that he or she has made in the way of food.

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This sounds great to most of us but the reality is that it just ain't workin'.

Child obesity has exploded into an epidemic in this country. And the kids were "graduating" can't compete with other countries' grads so our companies have to go to Asia to hire qualified engineers. As loathsome as it is to have govt. interfere with our daily lives, the impending problems are going to bite ALL OF US in the butt.

this is a growing problem, other countrys even some 3rd world countrys look at our education system and just shake their heads.......my god, how sad is that, most powerfull nation on earth, and our education system stops educating kids at what in many countrys is a middleschool/jr.high level, most of our population can only speek 1 language be it english or spanish(spanish WTF.....!!!)

other countrys teach multi languages begining in kinderguarden or elementry level, because kids at those ages are like a sponge and can learn ANYTHING and learn it EASLY, insted we wait till highschool and then force kids to take a crappy poorly done spanish or german class to graduate.......

again its a joke.......

i have friends who grew up in russia who learned algebra in what we would call 7th grade in the states, we wherent even allowed to take it till 9th grade here.......WTF is that.......

they also all leared english in gradeschool, as well as basic programing and other skills that where USEFULL and MARKETABLE.........not so here in the states, lets teach kids to use 5year old programs notbody uses anymore, or lets teach them skills that are utterly useless like how to make a birdhouse out of scrap lumbar!!!!

bah, the more i think about it, the more angery i get, had i been given the CHANCE to learn the kool stuff i would have jumped at it, but well, i was/am adhd and thus was treated like a MORON because, mostly because i didnt seem to pay attention, and that was mostly because i was about 20 steps ahead of the teacher in all my classes, i would ace the tests without ever doing the homework, then be called a cheater, i use to get pulled out of class to fix computers because out of all the people in the school and even district i was the only one they could reliably call on for both pc and mac who could just fix them without alwase fully reinstalling everything.

again, very frustrating looking back at it, i was even frustrated then, in emementry school i wanted to learn japnese, we had a teacher who had lived there for 14 years, she wanted to teach us BUT she couldnt get the school to approve the lessons, because they felt teaching us to play with finger paint or some shit was more important........*rolls eyes*

blah im getting more and more upset, i better go chill for a few......yes i get frustrated by this shit way to easy, i know it, but it still pisses me off to no end........i see what this country could be, and then i see what it is and where its headed.....the movie idocracy is far to likely to be what will really happen.......